


Motif

by Listenerofshadows



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Anakin starts to hear the background music of SW, Comedy Ensues, F/M, Gen, With a side of angst, because this is our boi Anakin we're talking about here, force music au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:23:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Listenerofshadows/pseuds/Listenerofshadows
Summary: Skywalker was used to being electrocuted-it was a regular occurrence. Not to say that he enjoyed it-but it was an unavoidable obstacle in his line of duty. Which is why he doesn't see the point of resting a few days in the med-bay. However, after the recent incident, something strange begins to occur. Anakin thinks perhaps there is a truth about electrocution trauma after all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This drabble was inspired by a post floating around tumblr about an AU where Anakin starts suddenly hearing the background music of Star Wars. All credit goes to goddesofroyalty and spookphantom as the originators of this crack AU. Please read and enjoy :)

Anakin wonders what is up with villains and electrocuting their captives. Dooku, he understood. The man could summon force lightning at will. It was quick and an effective torture tool for the count.

It was the non-force wielders he didn’t understand. Were electrocution torture devices on sale at Evil-R-Us? It just seemed too coincidental that everyone happened to have a spare electrocution device lying around. 

He grimaced, as another muscle spasm pulsed through his body. If he ever turned to the dark side, he vowed he would not use electrocution on anyone. It was a fate no one was deserving of.

Especially when certain protocols are set in place to keep a perfectly healthy Jedi Knight from his duties. He was regretting his snide remark about being electrocuted for the gazillionth time.

If Obiwan was with him, his silver tongue of his could’ve freed from Anakin’s impending doom. Alas, he was not, and Anakin was stuck in a med bay for a few days. That was why he was currently fiddling around with his hand prosthetic. To say he was bored was an understatement.  
The healers had given a plain white room and basically commanded him to rest. Anakin was staying awake out of spite. If he was a normal humanoid, he would’ve succumbed to the sleep pills ages ago.

But it was rather difficult to force a stubborn jedi to rest when they had a powerful ally in the Force. Even soft lullaby music wasn’t enough to put him in a sleepy state.

…seriously where was that coming from? He had spent a good hour searching for a hidden speaker to no avail. There was nothing in the white, blank, four-wall room that indicated such. It was as if an invisible orchestra was gathered around his bed. It was…unnerving to say the least.

The door abruptly slid open and Anakin wasn’t sure what he was more shocked about. The fact that the person wasn’t another bossy healer or that the music transitioned into a sad, wistful wind-wood instrument solo. One that sounded similar to a Torguta instrument that Ahsoka once demonstrated for him.

But his shock quickly grew into denial. It had to be a coincidence that a Togruta instrument had a solo right when she arrived. Just like it was a coincidence that all those villains had electrocution torture devices.

“Sky-guy!” He is broken out of his trance as his apprentice embraced him in a tight hug.

“It’s nice to see you too, Snips,” He grins, returning the hug.

As the two release from their hug, he had a better look of Ahsoka’s face. She looked relieved–he had really scared her, hadn’t he?  
Before he could even feel slightly guilty, a punch was thrown at his shoulder.

“Hey!” He indignantly exclaimed as he half-heartedly rubbed his shoulder.

“That,” She concluded, “Was scaring the kriff out of me when I heard you were in the medic-bay. You really need to avoid being electrocuted–I thought you were on death’s doorstep this time!”

“First of all, language,” He poked her shoulder teasingly before continuing, “Second of all, this is a valuable lesson, my dear padawan. In why you should be careful with your discretion with healers. Lest they bound you to a room for something so small as a little electrocution.”

Ahsoka snorted, her lips twitching upwards at her master’s words. “How long have you laid here in cold, miserable, silence, master?”

Anakin frowned. Silence? Could she not hear the music emanating all around them? 

He opened his mouth to respond–when the music abruptly changed. The serene and wistful lullabies of before became an ominous dark sound. It wasn’t subtle, like a snake moving through the grass silently. It was loud and abrasive, the brass instruments practically screaming “EVIL!” at top of their lungs.

Both he and Ahsoka looked up, startled by an unexpected arrival.

“Hello, Anakin, my boy,”


	2. Denial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked and you shall receive! :D
> 
> Thank you so much for all the kind comments left here, ff.net and tumblr. It really means a lot to me.
> 
> This chapter took me a while as I really had to sit and think about how Anakin (or anyone, really) would react to their own "theme music". 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much I had fun writing it!

“H-hello, chancellor,” Anakin immediately sat up straighter, “What brings you to the med bay?”

In the corner of his eye, he saw Ahsoka respectfully bow to the chancellor. Her playful nature was masked by the somber, respectful persona that Jedi are known for.

The Supreme Chancellor gave a wispy, gentle laugh.

“What brings me here?” He wheezed, placing a hand on his chest, “I’m here for you my boy!”

Palpatine drew closer to the bed, his long robes sweeping behind him. With each step he took, the music grew more menacing.

“I worried when I heard the news—that you had been admitted to the medical bay,” The chancellor paused, gazing thoughtfully at Anakin, “I had feared for the worst.”

The chancellor grew silent—too silent for a natural pause, Anakin quickly realized. He was expecting a response from the Jedi knight.

Anakin wanted to smile. He wanted to thank the chancellor for his concerns. He had wanted to let the Chancellor know that his attention was wanted.

But midst of the music, he wasn’t sure he wanted the chancellor’s presence. The music had quietened since the blaring cue that signaled his arrival. But it still lingered in the background, its low tones amplifying its sinister qualities.

He was starting to wonder if hallucinations was a symptom of electrocution damage. Maybe, just maybe there was a truth to all that damage that electrocution was rumored to bring.

To the chancellor and Ahsoka, however, there was no music. They heard the stiff silence that only an awkward moment bring to a situation. In their point of view, Anakin stared straight through Palpatine, his eyes glassy. The two shared a look before breaking it off. It was tough to say what was more awkward. The silence or the brief staring contest that took place between the padawan and the hidden sith lord.

The chancellor finally cleared his throat, gaining Anakin’s attention once more.

“It seems like my worries were for naught,” He continued, as though nothing had happened, “I should’ve known that nothing deters the republic’s most driven knight from the battle field for long.”

“I suppose so,” Anakin murmured, suddenly finding the floor titles much more interesting than the chancellor’s face.

Electrocution trauma or not, he did not understand why Palpatine’s music is so foreboding. It does not fit the kind, kind man who has become his surrogate grandfather in a way. It frightened him.

In his panic, Anakin did not think of shielding his emotions. He couldn’t—he was already too focused on keeping himself from falling apart in front of Chancellor Palpatine. So slowly his panic sept into his training bond with Ahsoka.

‘Master?’ Ahsoka uttered through their bond. She was uncertain and frightened of at the idea of Anakin being frightened. It was rare to see her master so gripped by fear. He was the hero without fear. If he did fear, he did not let Ahsoka know.

The only times she has felt an inkling of his fear was during nighttime hours. It wasn’t uncommon for her master to wake up from a nightmare. It was the unspoken reason why her master hardly slept. There were things that haunted his dreams. Things he didn’t like discussing with her.

She did not understand this odd behavior of her master’s. They are in no danger. They are with the chancellor, a beloved figure of Anakin’s. If a situation felt off to him, he’d make his mind known. Not…stay silent like this.

Anakin did not respond to her mental probe. Even though he was only a few feet away from her, he might as well be a whole galaxy away. She clenched her fists. She may be frightened, but Anakin needs her support. She drew a deep breath and allowed her fears to be absorbed by the Force.

‘Anakin, what it is, I’m here,’ She sends, trying to project her support through the force to him.

A hopeful melody breaks through the dark song that surrounds Palpatine. It does not compliment its’ melody. Its’ notes are too light. It’s—Ahsoka. He realized.

As her melody swept through the room, so did he hear her words.

But the dark music was still there and Anakin had a bad feeling it wouldn’t leave unless Palpatine goes with it.

“Anakin?” The chancellor uttered, a frown stretched across his face. It looked ugly on him, Anakin decided.

“Chancellor,” He gave a heavy sigh, “Thanks—Thank you for coming to visit. It’s an honor, really. But I’m feeling tired and I think need some rest.”

The chancellor’s breath hitched, his lips formed a neutral line. His face was unreadable as he gazed at Anakin for a few moments. The Jedi felt chills run down his back as the music hinted something more sinister. For a moment, he didn’t look like the kind, earnest soul that served only for the republic.

Then the man broke into a gentle smile as he let out his wispy laugh.

“Of course, dear boy,” He rested a hand on Anakin’s shoulder, “rest well.”

The brass instruments started to soften their screeches as the chancellor departed. As if an ocean calming after a storm, it gave way to a softer, contemplative song. He gave out a shaky laugh. He was both terrified and relieved. Terrified that he humiliated himself in front of the leader of the free republic. But relieved that the song finally silenced itself.

“Master,” Ahsoka stepped closer to his bedside, “Is something…wrong?”

He bit his lip as he looked at his apprentice. The two had their share of adventures. From rescuing a Hutt Lord’s son to taking down legions of droids side-by-side. But he didn’t know if Ahsoka would believe him if he told her. He didn’t believe it himself.

“I’m not…sure,” He hesitated, “but I promise Ahsoka, I’ll tell you about it when I’m ready.”

Ahsoka pursued her lips and looked as though she debating arguing the matter. Finally, she sighed.  
“Alright, master, I trust you,” She said slowly before exiting the room.

As he was left alone once more, the full weight of his exhaustion finally settled in. It didn’t help that the lullaby music was playing once more. Whatever it was, it urged him to sleep. The Jedi could ignore it no more.

As he entered the realm of sleep, there was no traumatic force visions or nightmares. No strange background music, either. Just complete darkness.

\--

He was not visited by Palpatine the next day. Nor the day after that. Still, he feared hearing that dreaded music again. He tried convincing himself he had imagined it all. Surely it was a delusion his exhausted mind had cooked up in his head. But he wasn’t in a hurry to visit the chancellor to test that theory out.

“What are you thinking about, master?” Ahsoka asked, looking up curiously from her holo tablet.

Unlike Palpatine, Ahsoka had been faithfully keeping her master company. When she wasn’t bogged down by classes, that was. The two were often gone weeks at a time, meaning her classes fell to the wayside. When they did hit planet-side, it meant hitting the books for her. It was why she had stayed behind on his last mission.

He didn’t need the force to know she was trying to get to the heart of the matter. He could see it in her eyes. They had danced around the topic for the past two days. Both him and Ahsoka pretending nothing was off. But he knew she was growing impatient with his secrecy.  
He wasn’t ready to discuss it with her just yet, though.

“I’m thinking,” A smirk crept onto his face, “That we are long due for a spar, padawan."

While it certainly wasn’t what she was seeking, his padawan was excited by the prospect.

“I’m game if you are, Sky-guy!” She grinned mischievously, “I could use a break from all this book-work.”

As she fingered her light-saber, drums pounded in the distance. Yes, the music still haunted him. The more he thought about it, the stranger it became in his mind. His only explanation was that it was hallucinations that caused the music. But could hallucinations craft entire symphonies? It was highly unlikely. He was a lightsaber prodigy, not a music prodigy.

Anakin thought about discussing it with Obiwan. His master could be as wise as Yoda when came down to things. But there was a doubt that persisted that Obiwan wouldn’t believe him. He’d tell Anakin it’d pass. Just like his force visions.  
Besides, the Jedi master was in the middle of a tug-of-war with Separatist troops over a key planet. He didn’t need to be bothered by such a trivial thing.

“You got that look again.”

“What look?” He queried, narrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

“It’s the look you get when you want to punch an intangible object.” She stated, crossing her arms.

The impending argument was thankfully avoided by the door sliding open. Anakin withheld a breath of relief when only it was only a medical droid. It stated it was here to evaluate if he was ready to be released.

The check-up was brief, as even it admitted there didn’t seem to be any residue damage.

“It is unusual, most patients that experienced that amount of voltage be suffering from several of the known symptoms.” It commented.

“Most patients don’t have the Force on their side,” Anakin smirked.

“I suppose so. I do not have information on my data-banks on how the Force contributes to healing wounds. It is likely that your Force prevented the electrocution from being severe.” It spoke as it fiddled with a holo-tablet, “In any case, you are discharged from the med-bay.”

As it turned to leave, the music’s melody changed. A stirring string of notes played out, that invoked a hopeful feeling. Anakin felt as if he’d known it his entire life.

“Wait!” Anakin stretched out a hand towards the droid.

“Yes?” It swirled its’ cylinder head towards Anakin.  
He stared at the droid. He had to make sure, he had to confirm that this was more than what he had first thought.

“Just out of curiosity,” He began, “Do being electrocuted have the probability of causing hallucinations?”

“No, hallucinations are not a known symptom of electrocution,” It looked closely at Anakin, “Though it can be a symptom of several hundred different ailments out there. Are you suffering from hallucinations?”

He felt Ahsoka’s stare making laser holes in the back of his head. No doubt she had found the question odd. He himself almost cringed at how suspicious it sounded. Kriff, even the medical droid had picked up on it!

“What? No! It’s just that I happen to get electrocuted a lot—so I asked out of curiosity.” He mentally cringed.

Even the music was mocking him, playing a light-hearted piece. It was very reminiscent of something that would’ve played in the background of a holo-comedy.

“I see,” It finally commented, “Well, if you’d excuse me, I must attend to those who are actually in need of my help now.”

It left, leaving Anakin in the presence of only Ahsoka again. An inquisitive, worried Ahsoka.

“Well you hear that, Snips?” Anakin kicked off his covers, “Looks like we’ll have that spar today after all.”

Ahsoka lingered a moment. She glanced around the white room, as if it might held clues for her master’s strange behavior. But only nothingness stared back at her.

“You coming, Ahsoka?” Her master’s voice called off from the master.

“Coming!” She yelled back, taking one final look before leaving.

\--

Truthfully told, he wished to be anywhere but the Jedi Temple. It was there, he was expected to adhere to the Council’s obsolete rules. It did not harbor many friends, either. He didn’t fit the Jedi mold, and so not many chose his company willingly.

The only Jedi who seemed enjoy his presence were the younglings. He often found himself mobbed in the hallways by the tykes. They were eager to hear his tales about his latest mission. Most of the time, he was too busy to oblige them. But once in a rare moon, he’d give into their request.

Still, he wished to be in the company of Padme right now. It pained him to be stuck on Coruscant for two days without seeing her face. Rarely did he set foot on Coruscant. Often he was given new missions before his forces could even reach the core planet. This meant it was difficult for them to meet up face-to-face.

As much as he wanted to be with her, it’d be suspicious for him to sneak away now. He’d be expected to return as soon as he left med-bay. Besides, he had promised Ahsoka a spar, and he intended on fulfilling that promise.

Anakin sighed as he drummed his fingers against the side of the speeder. It was technically Anakin’s. Technically as Jedi owned few possesions such as that to themselves. All ships were owned collectively. But was also technically in the sense that no one but Anakin dared to ride it.

The reason being was that it was a swift, temperamental little thing. It turned swiftly which suited Anakin perfectly. As he liked to swoop in and out of traffic lanes, finding short-cuts.  
Ahsoka sat on the passenger seat, looking out of her window. The two were silent, as both their minds was deep in thought. It didn’t make any less awkward, and the music unhelpfully pointed it out. The tension was just dropping off its’ notes.  
It was Ahsoka who broke the silence first.

“I was just realized something…” Ahsoka mused out loud.

“Go on,” Anakin said.

“Why weren’t you at the halls of healing?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin sighed, “You know how the halls are. They’ve been overcrowded ever since the battle of Genosis. Some of the overflow is sent to the GAR med-bay. Since I was not as…severe as others, I was ordered to report there.”

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen the halls empty.” Ahsoka commented gloomfully.  
The music he deemed that belonged to Ahsoka began to take a depressing tone. It sounded wrong for the Torguta instrument to make such a sound.

“Hey, I’m sure it won’t be long until the war’s over.” Anakin attempted cheering her up as he pulled into view of the temple.

Normally, seeing the sight of the Jedi Temple made feelings of resentment bubble up. But the music didn’t encourage this feeling. Instead, it brought back the melody from before. The one that stirred his light awake.

Except this time, it was more powerful. As if it carried the weight of a thousand more instrumentalists playing in tune. It invoked a sense of an awe in Anakin. That he couldn’t help but stare at the Temple.

“Master?”

No response.

“Master!” Ahsoka tugged at his sleeve.

“Wha-what?” The Jedi Knight blinked, startled out of his stupor.

“Are you going to land?” She asked, gesturing towards the hangars.

“Of course,” He gave a weak grin, “I was admiring the view that’s all.”

\--

It did not take them long to find an unused dojo for their needs. With mostly younglings and initiates left at the Temple, the dojos weren’t as full as they used to be. Their dojo supported this fact; as a thin layer of dust covered the room.

“Remember, set your lightsaber to low power. Wouldn’t want one of us to lose a limb here, now wouldn’t we?” Anakin instructed, his lips curving upwards.

“C’mon, master, that was one time!” Ahsoka protested, blushing as she adjusted her settings.

“Let’s just be glad that it was my prosthetic you cut off, and not my real one.” Anakin playfully jabbed as he ignited his lightsaber.

Wordlessly, Ahsoka ignited her own lightsabers. The two began circling one another, sizing each other up. It had been a while since the two had sparred. Often they sparred as much as they could, on the Resolute, as they headed to their destinations. It wasn’t ideal, but it worked. Anakin liked to think that the ship’s cramped interiors helped teach Ahsoka to use her surroundings.

Ahsoka made the first move. She jumped up with the intent of slamming her two light sabers down on him. He quickly raised his lightsaber to deflect them. Ahsoka seemed unbothered by his defense, using the momentum to backflip over him. It was a tactic, he realized, she deployed to fool him.

“Impressive.” He commented, as he swiveled to defend her advance.

Ahsoka had always been impressive with a lightsaber. It was probably why Yoda had assigned her as his padawan. The old troll knew he needed one that could keep him on his toes.

But she was truly beginning to blossom as a master of the blade. He was pleased to see that the second lightsaber had helped with her form. She used the two to her advantage, using one to block and the other to push her attack.

She was still significantly smaller than Anakin, but she didn’t let it hinder her. In fact, she made adequate use of it, dodging his attacks with acrobatic finesse. She found holes that others larger than her couldn’t fit in.

As she fought, her music took up a more aggressive tone. Anakin was attempting to ignore the music---which frankly he was doing a poor job of it. If anything, the music grew louder.

‘Try ignoring me now,’ seemed to be the taunt of its’ volume increase.

He was growing to realize that the song that he was swiftly recognizing as Ahsoka’s song had more complexities than he realized. Yes, it could be cheerful and wistful, but it also could be fierce as well. He heard it during their fight—the drums pounding in his ears, the Togruta horn playing its melody on top of it.

His distracted mind almost cost him the duel, when Ahsoka wedged her lightsabers between his and tried to pry it out. She was pressuring it downwards, attempting to disarm him.

It was only to quick thinking that his padawan didn’t best him that easily. He turns off his lightsaber and backflips out of her reach. The sudden disappearance of the weight, caused Ahsoka to fall unexpectedly forward. Her lightsabers clattered to the floor. One near her reach, while her lightsaber shoto rolled further away from her.

Anakin pressed the advantage, calling the shoto to his reach before she recovered. Her enemies weren’t going to favor her, and neither would Anakin. He was not a master of Jar’Kai. But all Jedi were instructed in the form and so he was adequate in it.

Ahsoka, to her credit, did not waver as she rose. She clutched her remaining lightsaber in a two-handed grip and faced off. The lightsabers zinged as they collided with one another once more.  
His padawan was struggling with the loss of her second lightsaber. He could tell it had been a while since she trained with a single blade.

“You’ve grown too reliant on the shoto,” He commented, as he continued his advance, “It’s not bad. You just have to be aware of your form’s weaknesses and how to cover them.”

Ahsoka stayed silent, her frown deepening as she frantically dodged his attacks.

It was only a matter of time before he shredded through her defenses. The fight was finished when Anakin managed to thrust the lightsaber shoto at Ahsoka's chest.

They were both panting heavily as they stared at one another. Anakin quirked a smile as a laugh tickled his throat.

“That, that was really good,” Ahsoka’s head turned away at the sound of her master’s voice, “I mean it Ahsoka! You almost had me there.”

Ahsoka remained silent, as her figure began to shake a little.

“Ahsoka?” He hesitantly asked. He could feel his padawan attempting to suppress her frustration in the Force, “What’s wrong?”

“I should have not had you there,” She said, her voice low and full of distress, “You were distracted, Master. In the same way you’ve been the past two days. What’s going on?”

“Ahsoka,” He immediately reprimanded, “I said I would tell you when I—“

“I know what you said!” She sharply turned her head towards him, “But you’ve been acting really strange—ever since you returned. What if you get distracted like that in the middle of a battle?”

Her distress was pulsing through the Force like an alarm beacon. Its’ edges jagged and sharp. She was concerned for him, just like the way he had been concerned for his mother—

“It’s not going to happen,” He said, his voice growing strained, “I promise.”

“But—“

“I said, I WILL NOT LET IT HAPPEN!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a dark trio of beats followed in its wake. It echoed in his head in a hauntingly familiar tune. He didn’t know what it meant, but only silence followed after. For Anakin, it was eerie hearing silence for the first time in 48 hours. It brought an unsettled, horrified feeling to his chest.

Ahsoka stumbled back, stunned by the anger laid behind the shout. Anakin can only name a few times when he’s truly shouted at Ahsoka. But those shouts had only been ones driven by his fear for her life. He hadn’t meant to yell at her. He had just been so consumed by anger of the situation. Angry at his lack of understanding. Angry at things he didn’t comprehend. He had been too afraid to let her know the truth.

“Ahsoka--"

“No, I get it.” Her voice was uncharacteristically terse, “I’ll—I’ll won’t bring it up again.”

Her eyelids fluttered fast, attempting to keep from crying. She snatched the shoto from Anakin’s hand.

“I just remembered—I have homework to get done.” She mumbled under her breath.

She hurried out of the dojo, out of Anakin’s sight.

Anakin gave a frustrated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. What was he going to do now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music Alluded To (in order of appearance): Imperial March, Palpatine's theme, Ahsoka's theme, Parade of Ewoks, Force Theme, Ahsoka's theme (again) and That Imperial March Motif That Plays In TCW When Anakin does something questionable.
> 
> The reason Imperial March is first used when Palpatine is introduced in the first chapter as it hints to him being the cause of Anakin's descent into Vader.
> 
> Parade of Ewoks is briefly mentioned as that lighthearted comedic piece as I actually really like the song and think it's worth an off-hand mention.


	3. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palpatine and Anakin make startling discoveries as they sit and ponder things from opposite sides of Coruscant

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha. ha. It's been a while, hasn't it? This chapter was a pain-in-the-butt for me to write and because of that, I may or may not have put off writing it. But it's finally finished and ready for you guys to enjoy!!

Palpatine sat at his office, high above the never-ending traffic of Coruscant. He stared at the skyline as he drummed his fingers against his desk. He was puzzled. It had been a few days since he last saw Anakin, but the boy’s reactions still aggravated him. He’d acted like a nervous banshee around Palpatine, ready to bolt out of there if he had been well enough.

As far as the Chancellor was concerned, there was no reason for this behavior. Young Skywalker had been feeding out his palm, docile and pacified, shortly before this strange behavior occurred. Something clearly had changed between the time he left for his assignment and the hospital visit. The way the young knight reacted to his presence spoke for itself. He reacted with repulsion, eyes widening in some sort of revelation.

Palpatine didn’t understand it. He had spent years grooming the boy to become his apprentice. He took full advantage of his age to play up a grandfatherly persona. He had looked over the report of Anakin’s last mission countless times. The report was full of details from different perspectives, but nothing was out of the ordinary. Unless the report was falsified, nothing indicated Anakin’s turn. They could’ve make up that report to make him believe his plans were going smooth as usual. He scowled, knocking the papers off his desk. No. Skywalker wasn’t that smart! He was too impulsive to try a tactic such like that! Nor did he believe this of the Jedi council’s doings. He had made sure to plant enough doubt into Anakin to keep him from fully trusting the council ever.

He had hoped to make another visit to Skywalker’s hospital ward again, however the drudgery of a politician’s life kept him from going. Unfortunately, being a secret sith lord doesn’t allow him to bypass all the chancellor duties he was expected to uphold. Trust him, the senate meetings were no hoot to mediate. He knew sowing seeds of disharmony into the senate to make it divisive was part of his plan, but after a while, their incessant bickering started to grate on his nerves. There were too many voices, too many opinions all bottled up in one room. There’s a reason why he wants to do away with democracy. If not for the betterment of the galaxy as he sees fit, then for his own sanity.

He had naively hoped to be able to persuade all of them to readily follow his every suggestion, but there were stubborn minds in the senate. Some of them belonged to species that were impervious to Force tricks but others were just very stubborn idiots.  Padme Amidala, being a key example. How he hated her!

He slammed his fist against the desk, growling at just the thought of that pestering woman. Another one of his foolish ambitions had been to make her into a puppet of his will. For a while, she’d been under his spell, or at least went along with his schemes. Begrudgingly, she had been vital to his rise as Chancellor. He’d orchestrated the entire conflict for that sole purpose; if she’d had refused to take his bait, it would’ve set his plans back a bit.

However, she grew up and shed her skin away from his control and he never managed to reclaim her as a pawn ever again. It infuriated him. The two played a game of chess. Sometimes he thought she was aware of his moves, his plans for the future. Other times he was fully convinced he had fooled her. Then again, she had grown to be quite a successful political activist. She was a thorn in his side and she knew it. She knew there was something about him that didn’t reek of the kind senator that she once knew.

Though they fully understood that the dynamic had shifted, they kept playing their roles. He played the role of her faithful former mentor and she kept playing her role as his grateful former student. He cursed himself inwardly for teaching her too well on how to work the political atmosphere. No matter. Sooner or later she’d either fall to his grasp once more or he’d dispose of Padme properly.

 Of course, the main problem with Padme was Anakin’s schoolboy crush on her. He admired Padme greatly and it didn’t escape Palpatine’s eyes. She, too, appeared to share the same sentiment. Although young Skywalker claimed the two were only friends, even someone as blind as a bat could see they were in love.

Love. Even the word disgusted the Sith Lord.

The most worrying thing of this debacle was how easily swayed Skywalker could be of others. This was something Palpatine utilized to his advantage, but it meant he could easily fall onto Padme’s side. Something the Chancellor wished to avoid. It could very well be Padme’s influence that caused him to grow suspicious of Palpatine.

Palpatine sighed, mulling it over. He could not stoop to his future apprentice’s level and act impulsively about this matter. He didn’t get this far into his plans by acting on a whim. No, he thought things through slowly and deliberately.

As much as he hated having his pawn captured by Padme, it could prove useful in the end. A good Sith turns their opponent’s ambitions against them.

He smirked to himself. Yes, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

 

* * *

 

 

In another part of Coruscant, inside a dusty old temple, sat Anakin. He was completely unaware of Palpatine’s plotting, for he was in a predicament of his own.

He was alone in the suite, Ahsoka having stormed off somewhere into the depths of the temple. He hadn’t followed her, knowing it’d be best not to. She needed time alone to cool off. That wasn’t the only reason. He privately feared that the dark music would ensue if he attempted following.

It apparently hadn’t mattered though because the music followed him into the suite regardless.  A melancholy tune hung over his head, taunting him of the events that occurred a few hours previous. It was a slow, dragging piece that kept subtly hinting those dreaded three notes. If Jedi were allowed to have holo discs, he might’ve tried blocking it out with space pop music or whatever was popular these days. He thought over the idea of smuggling in some discs, but he really didn’t want to try explaining his actions in front of the Jedi Council if discovered. There was a lot of tactics he pulled in defiance of the Council, but they usually had a justification behind them. This, he had nothing without sounding like a complete lunatic.

He hated the idea of what he was about to do: meditation. Having exhausted all the other solutions, it was the only option left. He hated meditation. He hated to sit still and try to focus on the massive feedback sent him all at once. However, it was the only option to hear what the Force had to say on this matter.

He wasn’t the most spiritually rooted Jedi; it one of the many reasons the Jedi Council loathed him. He never had to be, as the Force was always at his fingertips. Whereas others worked hard to strengthen the connection between them and the Force to grant them further strength and finesse. He still respected the Force, it was what freed him from his bondage of slavery. It was because of this respect that he was willing to attempt meditating.

Admittedly, the music sounded like it agreed with this sentiment, growing to a more hopeful tune again. It reminded him of the tune he heard with Ahsoka as they entered the Temple.

He took a deep breath and tried centering himself. His mind wanted to wander back to what Ahsoka had said and how she reacted—no, he couldn’t focus on that right now. The only thing that required his concentration was the Force. It didn’t matter how much the music was bothering him. It didn’t matter how squishy the meditation pillow was or how itchy his tunics were. Not even his aching muscles mattered. What mattered was being one with the Force and the Force being one with him. He was calm. He was peace. He was—

“Argh.” He complained out loud, opening his eyes before closing them once more.

He had to do this, he couldn’t go to Obiwan about this. For a brief moment, the idea of talking with Obiwan sounded alluring. He quickly squashed that idea down. He couldn’t face him when knowing how Obiwan would react. He’d think Anakin was going insane. He’d brush it off, telling him not to worry about it. That’ll “pass in time” much like his nightmares about his mom had.

Not to mention, Obiwan was busy trying to keep another planet fall into Separatists’ hands. He didn’t have a time to lend an ear to Anakin.

“Let me help you.” A voice interrupted his thoughts. Its words echoed against the crevices of his mind.

“W-what?” He spluttered out loud. He instinctively reached for his lightsaber as he scanned the room. Nothing.

“Relax,” The voice making a tsking sound, “Don’t be afraid.”

“How do I know you’re not some evil apparition?”

“Listen to the sounds, what do they think?” The voice spoke again. It sounded ancient and whimsical. He could tell by their tone that they were amused by his reaction.

Sighing, he listened intently to the music. It sounded nonthreatening, peaceful even. Nothing like those ominous trio of beats that still haunted the foreground of his mind. He felt like he could trust this voice. He didn’t know why, but it felt right by the Force to do so. It sounded crazy, but then again the Force is rarely logical in its’ actions. Very much like Anakin’s split-decision plans in heated moments of battle.

With that in mind, he slowly closed his eyes and once more focused on reaching out to the Force. The tidal waves that made up the Force crashed against him, threatening to drown him—but he didn’t struggle. He let them wash over him as he resisted the urge to fight against the immersion.

“Good.” The disembodied voice uttered.

Anakin twitched his nose but continued to concentrate on following the thread of the music. Everything leads back to the Force. The Force binds the whole galaxy together; without it, nothing exists. This is what Obiwan and the other Jedi cemented into his young skull. It was all about finding the connection between the object and the Force. As the Force makes up all things, so will a creation of the Force reflect its character. He was uncertain if this doctrine applied to a disembodied musical score, but it was worth a shot. He found himself losing control of his body, everything felt numb and foreign and unmovable by his thoughts. This worried him. He didn’t like giving up control of his body. It reminded him of bad things, like being a slave again—

“You are a child of the Force. The Force will not harm those who serve it dutifully.” The voice once again chastised.

Now that he had gone deeper into the Force, he attempted reaching out to the voice. He caught a brief glimpse.

The figure was shimmery, glowing dimly like a far-off star. The hood of the figure’s cloak obscured their face from Anakin. The glimpse faded once the figure turned its’ gaze towards him, catching him in the act.

“Don’t focus on me, young one. Focus on the Force,” They insisted, “My being is not more important than the Force that which binds all things together and holds the galaxy in place. I am merely here to give aid in your quest.”

He smirked. Typical dutiful Jedi. He shook his head—well his metaphoric head, as his spirit was currently detached from his body. He ventured further into the Force, past where he’d found the disembodied voice. He followed the music on a wild goose chase, straining his ears to hear strings and brass sections urging him to continue onwards. The music was the same as the one he encountered previously with Ahsoka and now the disembodied voice. That strong, united cry of hope. He pressed after it, always just a reach away from grasping it.

The music kept eluding him, leading him to going deeper and deeper into the Force. As he did, he felt the Force begin to move around him. Images of things long past flashed past him.  A huge ship crashing into Corusant.  Padme in pain. The Jedi Temple in flames. They flew by so quickly, he could barely comprehend what they meant.

Eventually, he came upon a forest. It wasn’t apart of his mind shield nor of anyone’s elses. The forest was alive with Force energy. The air hummed, replicating the tune he had been following the whole way down. He was starting to realize that the music wasn’t some crazy jacked up hallucination. Somehow it intertwined with the Force. No, it was the Force. Maybe the music acted like the language of the Force, its’ symphony screaming to anyone who listened hard enough.

“You are correct.” The spirit announced, appearing in front of Anakin.

Anakin stumbled back, surprised that the mysterious spirit had chosen to actually reveal itself to Anakin.

“Ho-how’d you—”

“My spirit is one with the Force—all thoughts known by the Force I also know.” The voice explained, “The music you are hearing—it is the music of the galaxy, something every Jedi could once hear. Each being has their own melody in the narrative. A melody that can shift and change depending on the paths one takes in life.”

“So those three beats,” Anakin swallowed.

“Could be a part of your melody if you keep going on your current path,” The spirit finished. His eyes had a gleam of sadness in them, and Anakin felt like he had let the being down despite having just met the being.

“The music is a manifestation of the Force. You should listen well to its’ warnings.”

Anakin drew a deep breath.

“Okay. You said that the music could be heard by all Jedi at one point, why’d that change? And how are you here? I was told that there is nothing—”

“but the Force after death?” The spirit raised an eyebrow, “In a way, that is true. I am not lying when I say that I am one with the Force. Like the ability to hear the galaxy’s symphony, it is an ability lost to the Jedi Order. One that requires extensive training while living. I died before completing my training—I can only manifest a physical appearance deep in the Force.”

As Anakin conversed more and more with the spirit, he couldn’t help but think how eerily familiar their voice sounded. There was no way he knew this person before they died—the ability to exist afterlife was something lost to the Jedi Order after all.

“What about the music, though? Wouldn’t that require training of some sort—like surviving being electrocuted a number of times?” Anakin cross his arms.

The spirit let out a booming laugh.

“While it does indeed normally require training, it does not involve being electrocuted a number of times,” The spirit said with mirth, “However, the Force felt like an…intervention was need on your behalf.”

“W-what?” Anakin said indignantly.

The spirit opened their mouth to say more when the forest began to shake, causing Anakin to grasp onto a tree trunk.

“Anakin?!” A voice echoed above the music of the forest—Ahsoka.

“It appears your padawan needs you.” The spirit commented, giving a meaningful look towards him, “It was good to see you again, Anakin.”

“Wait—what?!” He shouted. He attempted to step closer to the being only to be jolted backwards from the severance of the connection. His spirit flew back into his body quicker than he’d expected, as he suddenly snapped his eyes open into the increasingly worried gaze of Ahsoka.

He vaguely realized he was being cradled in her lap, something he remedied by sitting up hastily.

“Hey,” He croaked, “What’s up, Snips?”

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him before looking away.

“The Council wants to see us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music used: Anakin's theme from Phantom Menace and the Force theme. Not a whole lot, but this was Force-heavy hence the over-use of it. I'd really recommend taking a listen to Anakin's theme, it's a hidden gem in my opinion. It has a heavy dosage of innocence with that subtle Imperial March in case you forgot that tHIS INNOCENT SWEET SUMMER CHILD BECOMES DARTH VADER
> 
> Also, hmm, wonder who that mysterious force figure could be?? For those who doubt Anakin not recognizing them consider this: 1. He has not heard their voice since he was a kid, it's been like 13 years. 2. He's not expecting them to be around in the afterlife 3. Anakin is dumb, hence the Force enabling the "Hints Menu" for him.


End file.
